Undertaker&#39;s block



Sept. 1l, 1,934. L, J. wERNEss 5T AL.

UNDERTAKER S BLOCK Filed Feb. l, 1935 Patented Sept.

tenait PATENT series UNDERTAKERS BLOCK Leon J. Werness and Ransom C. Proudfit, Minneapclis, Minn., assignors to Undertakcrs Supply Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation ol Illinois Appilcation February 1, 1933, Serial No.l654,604

1 Claim.

vThis invention relates to supports for use particularly by undertakers to support the heads, arms and legs of corpses while undergoing treatment by them. After an embalining uid is injected in the veins or a dead body, the muscles of the body become pliable whereupon it is possible for the undertaker to set the head and limbs of the body as desired, so that the head and limbs will taire a natural position when the body is placed in a casket. Some time after the embalming fluidl is injected the muscles become rigid and it is, accordingly, highly desirable to provide a suitable support for use in supporting the `nead and limbs after the embalming 'fluid is injected, so that the head and limbs of the body will assume the proper position when the muscles grow rigid.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a novel and improved block, which can f. be conveniently used for supporting the head and limbs of a corpse while the muscles are growing rigid after embalming fluid has been injected into the body.

It is another object to provide such a block .having a, number of different concave surfaces of dierent concavity so that by manipulation of the block, different surfaces may be exposed uppermost to support the head or limbs of a corpse at diiferent heights.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts .throughout the various views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a block embodying the invention showing the same set in one possible manner;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the block set as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the block set up in a diiferent manner than as shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the block set as shown in Figs. l and 2 and supporting the head of a corpse; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the block set up as shown in Fig. 3 and supporting the arm of a corpse.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a block A preferably formed of rubber which, although quite hard, has some resiliency and has a high coeicient of friction when placed on a table or other supporting surface. This block has six sides which may be designated 1,

(o1. yar- 13) 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The two sides 1 and 3 are directly opposite each other, the two sides 2 and 4 are directly opposite each other and the two sides 5 and 6 are directly opposite each other. The four sides 1, 2, 3 and 4 each have concave recesses formed therein and each of these recessesY is of a different concavity so that the bottom of each recess will lie at a different level than the bottom of any other recess when the block is so set that the different recesses are placed uppermost. For example, when the block is supported as illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the bottom of the recess formed in the side 1 which is uppermost, will be at a different level from the supporting surface than would the bottom of the recess in the side 2, the bottom of the recess in the side 3 or the bottom of the recess in the side 4 if the block was so set that the respective sides 2, 3 and 4 were disposed uppermost. The recesses are so formed in the sides 1, 2, 3 and 4 that if a vertical section were taken through the block, intermediate the right and left ends thereof, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, this section would be rectangular in shape.

The two sides 5 and 6 are also provided with concave recesses of different curvature from each other and preferably of different curvatures than the recesses in the sides 1, 2, 3 and 4. Accordingly, when the block is set up as shown in Fig. 3, to rest on a supporting surface with the side 5 uppermost, the bottom of the recess in the side 5 will lie at a different level from the supporting surface than would be the bottom of the recess in the side 6 if the side 6 were placed uppermost. The recesses in the sides 5 and 6 are also so formed relative to the recesses in the sides l, 2, 3 and 4 that irrespective of which way the block is placed on a supporting surface, the level of the bottom of the recess of the side uppermost will be differently spaced from the supporting surface than when the block is set therein in any other relation with a different side uppermost. The two sides 5 and 6 are of rectangular shape in plan view.

The concave recesses in the various surfaces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 do not extend way across these surfaces and, as a result, each surface has flat portions adjacent its ends which may contact a support when the surface on which the hat portions are formed, is disposed downwardly. For example, if the surface 3 is disposed downwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the dat portions of the surface 3 engage the support upon which the block is resting at spaced points, and stably support the block to prevent the same from slipping both because of the spaced engagement of the surface 3 with the support, and also because of the high coeicient of friction formed by the rubber material of the block when it engages the support.

In Fig. 4, the block A is shown in use for supporting the head B of a corpse. In Fig. 5 the block is shown in use for supporting an arni C of a corpse. After embalming fluid is injected into the veins of a dead body by an undertaker, to loosen the muscles of the body, the head B of the body is raised and the block A is turned until the proper one of the surfaces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 is disposed uppermost to support the head at the correct level. Similar blocks A may be correspondingly used for supporting the armsand legs of the body properly. When the head or limbs of the body are thus supported by the block A. the muscles of the body will set with the head or limbs in proper position.

When the head of a corpse is supported by ablock A, the hair of the head may be readily dressed without diiculty. The blocksin use for supporting: the arms and legs of the body makeit possible for the undertaker to readily dress the body without diiculty. By provision of the dif-` ferent surfaces in the block having concave recesses of diierent depths, the block may be readily manipulatedwithout delay to support theparts of the body at different heights without difficulty. This is ofV great importance to the undertakerbecause heoften does not have time or opportunity for making mechanical adjustments in supports after the embalming uid is injected into a dead body.

It is, of course, not always essential to provide the recess of each surface of a diierent concavity than all the remaining recesses, inasmuch as six diierent adjustments of the block for height may not always be necessary. It is within the scope of the present invention, therefore, to provide two or more surfaces of the block so formed that when these surfaces are set uppermost, the part of the body supported thereby will lie at the same level from the surface on which the block rests.

It'will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangementv and proportions of the various parts of the block without departing from the scope of the present invention, which generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:-

An undertakers block for supporting thelimbs of; the corpse comprising a block having end portions substantially rectangular in outline, the block being substantially reduced in cross section from both ends toward a plane midway between the end portions, the center of the reduced portion in said plane being offset from a line connecting the centers of said end portions.

LEON J. WERNESS. RANSOM C. PROUDFIT. 

